Small 9x15 shop layout?

[JonBoy]

Just looking for opinions on laying out a small shop. The open area is for storage and some sheets of plywood and 2 bikes. Plan on buying a router and making a router table or just buying BT3 Kit one. Not sure at this point. I also have a bench grinder, and Miter Saw. Both I normally just keep stored until I need them. The bench that the drill press is on is the only thing that has to stay. Its a nice bench I built. The My current bench is just 2 2x12's that go all the way across. so thats prob not usable.

The one on the right is Current, Also the table with the drill press in only about 2.5 feet tall so it will not be usable bench space.

[LarryG]

Looking at your layouts, two questions come to mind:

1. Is your BT on a mobile base?

2. Is the walk door at left the only door into this space? I'm specifically wondering whether there's an overhead door at the bottom of the page.

[JonBoy]

No the Bt3 is not on a mobile base. Maybe I should make that a Priority over changing my current layout. As far as the doors there is only one door. I will try to get an actual pic later so you can see whats going on. I would also consider making the new benches or at least one mobile so I could pull it to the middle if needed.

[LarryG]

I think a mobile base for your BT would help a lot. The biggest problem I see with all three layouts is the lack of outfeed room for the saw. (BTW, in the plan at left ... don't you have the saw turned 180* from what it should be?) OTOH if you do mostly small projects, with small workpieces, maybe you don't need a lot of outfeed room. Still, a mobile base would give you some flexibility.

What's the ceiling height in this room? If it's at least eight feet, you could store the plywood vertically at lower left, between the hinge side of the door and the lower left corner of the shop. Then park the bikes in front of the plywood. Then park the BT as far to the left (nearest the bikes) as it'll go. This would free up most of the right-side wall.

At the "upper" end of the plan, I think what you have now works about as well as anything would, except you might move the drill press to the opposite side of its bench; i.e., nearest the door. This would give you the maximum working clearance to the right side of the DP, as you face it.

Try playing around with some layouts in which the right end (i.e., the non-SMT end) of the BT is up against the right-side wall, up toward the middle of the shop. In narrow shops, putting the end of the TS against a long wall is usually the best option. The farther you move it up the page, so to speak, the more equal the infeed and outfeed clearances will be.

[Tom Miller]

I'd start with option #3, but turn your TS 180, and place it about mid-shop. You could have the right side butted up to the wall, and pull it out as necessary. Use either a fold-down outfeed table, or make a mobile one.

With a small shop, mobility is very important, so consider mobilizing your TS, especially.

Regards,
Tom

[DonHo]

I'm very familar with the "small shop" problems. For a few years I had a 10'X12' shed as my shop and now I'm a little better off with a 12'X14' shop building. The one thing I'd stress to you is to put as many of your tools on mobile cabinets that are easily moved about and with all the storage possible in the cabinets. I was always cramped for space and having to work around stuff until I decided to go "mobile". Most of my tools sit against a wall on a cabinet with accessories for the tool stored in the cabinet. I've even made my work bench mobile with storage under the bench. I'm not saying you still won't be wishing for more space but it is doable. One other point, as much as possible keep things put in their place and clean up often , I'm not talking "Rod" clean but keep cut offs and trash off the floor so you can roll your mobile tools and also so you won't be tripping over them

DonHo

[siliconbauhaus]

Shopnotes had a couple of good one wall shop layouts IIRC. I'd be tempted to use the whole length of the far wall for the bench and cabinets and set it so your TS will park underneath.